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© Samiskt Informationscentrum |
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| The mountains |   |
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The mountain chain in Sweden was formed during the Devonian period, 400 million years ago. At that time, the peaks towered higher above the sea than they do today. People and animals both enjoy the mountains. Ice ages have succeeded each other, grinding down the mountain peaks, and the only mountains that remain today are those consisting of the hard rock types. These climb 2,000 metres above sea level, and include the Giebnegáisi and Sarek massifs. Hardy plants Plants in the bare mountain region above the tree line have adapted to long, dark, cold winters and short, cool summers with daylight 24 hours a day. However, not all the plants on the mountain are typical mountain plants. The bilberry plant grows up to 1,000-1,100 metres above sea level, and other lowland plants can also be found up to this level. The conditions for plants become harsher higher up, and here there are more specialised mountain plants that are small and grow by creeping along the ground or in tight tufts. They may also be covered with hair or have waxy leaves, all in order to withstand the cold and wind and to prevent them from drying out. Adaptation for the winter Reindeer and the arctic fox are the larger mammals in Sweden able to survive the arctic climate experienced in the mountains in the winter. Small mammals such as lemmings and other rodents have to live under the snow to withstand the cold. The arctic fox lives mostly on small rodents, and does not leave the mountain region during the winter. The reindeer, on the other hand, prefers to migrate down to the forested areas during the winter, where the snow cover is usually easier to dig through than the hard snow on the mountain. In the summer, reindeer prefer to be on the mountain, where they can find the plants they need. On days when they are particularly tormented by mosquitoes, they can flee up to the patches of snow in the high alpine area. The birds come in the summer During the summer months, the mountains are invaded by numerous species of birds, returning from wherever they spent the winter. They raise their young here on the mountains, and in the autumn they return to distant countries - or just to the birch forest below the mountains, as the ptarmigan does. ...and the people The mountains do not only attract birds in the summer, but also people. Mountain trekkers follow the marked paths in order to experience and enjoy the mountains. Few people could imagine living all year round in the mountains. The reindeer herding Sami in the mountain samebys move up into the mountains to work, and their whole family comes with them. They live in encampments, with each sameby having its own encampment on its own land, and every family has its own house. July is a hectic time for all reindeer herders, as it is then that the calves that were born in May have to be marked. The herders have to drive their herds into fenced enclosures on the mountain. They employ motorbikes, four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters to help them. Senast ändrad: 2006-08-17 |
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